On Thursday, it became known that 15 people at the Russian embassy have been declared undesirable in Norway. According to Norwegian authorities, the 15 persons are Russian intelligence officers. In April last year, three Russian diplomats were expelled from Norway. Also that time because they were believed to be intelligence officers. Then Russia responded by expelling three Norwegian diplomats. A similar counter-reaction this time could mean that we lose large parts of the diplomatic personnel we have in Russia. – The Russians have approximately 40 diplomats in Norway. When 15 are now expelled, it’s quite a large number, says Iver Neumann, researcher in diplomacy at Fritjof Nansen’s institute. According to what news is aware of, there are now 19 Norwegian diplomats in Russia. If Russia expels as many as Norway has expelled, there will be few Norwegian diplomats left in Russia. Iver B. Neumann researches diplomacy at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. Photo: Jan Dalsgaard Sørensen – Danger of running out of diplomats – The Russians are now coming after all sun signs to expel Norwegian diplomats from the embassy in Moscow. We have fewer there, so we are in danger of running out of diplomats if this continues. If they expel 15, it will be thin over there, says Neumann. Iver Neumann believes that it is absolutely crucial that Norway is able to maintain a dialogue with Russia. – In order to have that contact and be informed about what is happening in Russia, you must have a certain number of people working there. Four pieces in the large neighboring country to the east is too small, he says. – We have a boundary, we have a conversation that must be kept up. Even if it is at a very low level, it must be kept up. The relationship between Norway and Russia… we probably have to go back 100 years, to the Russian revolution, before it has been worse, he concludes. Tom Røseth is an associate professor at the Norwegian Defense Staff School. Photo: Trygve Heide / news Intelligence can have a stabilizing effect Tom Røseth, head teacher in intelligence at the Staff School, agrees with Neumann that it is likely that Russia will come up with a similar counter-reaction. – What we end up with is that we get fewer diplomatic personnel in Moscow, and that increases the risk of misunderstandings, he says. Røseth believes that intelligence can potentially make the relationship between two states more stable: – Intelligence can have a stabilizing effect between two states, he says. – Because it reduces the risk of misunderstandings: you know more about the opponent’s intention, because you have relatively good control over the opponent’s movements and willingness to carry out various actions, he says. Stian Bones, professor of history at UiT Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news More than in the Treholt case Professor of history at UiT, Norway’s Arctic University, Stian Bones himself was surprised at how many have been declared undesirable. – 15 pieces is quite a lot in a Norwegian context. He explains that five people were deported and four were declared persona-non-grata during the Treholt case. So six less than no. Bones believes that there may be statements from Russian political parties, or from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. – They can be of such a nature that it is quite a powerful diet. But primarily this is a symptom of a cooled relationship between Norway and Russia. Bones nevertheless believes that both countries still have a will to continue practical cooperation on certain issues in the north.
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– Danger of running out of diplomats – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
